Vehicle Fixture with Alignment Target

ABSTRACT

A fixturing system ( 10 ) for use with a frame-straightening repair bench ( 30 ) that assists in properly positioning fixture bases and providing verification of repairs. The fixturing system includes fixture bases, support assemblies ( 14 ), locating members ( 16 ), designed to couple with specific control points, and securing mechanisms to secure the vehicle during repair. The alignment targets and verification system provide proof that the fixturing system and replacement parts are properly positioned. If a repair cannot be made by pulling, the damaged areas of the vehicle can be removed and the fixturing system can help position and hold replacement parts until the repair is made substantially permanent, and the alignment targets and verification system provide proof that the repair is accurately made.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present U.S. non-provisional patent application is related toearlier-filed patents titled VEHICLE STRAIGHTENING BENCH WITH MOVABLECARRIAGES FOR MOUNTING PULLING ASSEMBLIES, U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,770,filed Nov. 27, 2002, LASER SCANNER WITH PARABOLIC COLLECTOR, U.S. Pat.No. 6,765,664, filed Jan. 9, 2002, and VEHICLE MEASURING SYSTEM, U.S.Pat. No. 6,829,046, filed Dec. 1, 2000. The identified earlier-filedpatents are hereby incorporated by reference into the presentapplication as though fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to systems for repairing and verifyingrepairs of vehicles. More particularly, the systems comprises fixtures,alignment targets, and laser scanners, along with repair mechanisms suchas pulling towers and part replacement apparatuses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is often necessary to repair the frame or other parts of a vehicleafter the vehicle has been in a collision or accident that has bent orotherwise damaged the vehicle frame or other parts of the vehicle. Inthe U.S., such repair is commonly accomplished by securing the vehicleon a frame-straightening bench and exerting appropriate forces, atappropriate locations, in appropriate directions to bend the frame backinto its normal position. However, bending the frame in this manner isnot always possible or recommended, such as when the frame isconstructed of aluminum rather than steel.

In Europe, repairs are commonly accomplished by removing and replacingthe damaged part or portion of the frame rather than bending it. Thisrequires the vehicle to be secured to a bench, and then the replacementportion is positioned and secured during the repair using appropriatefixtures. Unfortunately, the process of replacing a vehicle's frame canbe laborious and time-consuming, particularly with regard to separatingthe body from the damaged frame and mounting the body onto the undamagedframe.

While the straightening machines are highly effective, they do not bythemselves provide information as to the extent of straightening to beaccomplished. The vehicles have manufacturer-provided reference points,such as reference openings or holes located at established points on thevehicles. Manufacturers also provide specifications for the correctthree-dimensional spatial locations of these reference points relativeto each other. If a vehicle is damaged, these reference points may bemoved from their normal or “specification” positions relative to eachother. Most, if not all, vehicle frame and unibody straightening jobsrequire that the vehicle reference points be returned to withinmanufacturer specifications.

In other repair systems, the dimensions of the vehicle's frame aremeasured and compared to pre-established standard (i.e., undamaged)dimensions, and, as necessary, the frame is adjusted on aframe-straightening machine until the measured dimensions correspond tothe standard dimensions. In one system, for example, a laser scanner ispositioned beneath the vehicle, and retro-reflective targets are hungfrom points on the frame. The laser scanner uses lasers to triangulatethe positions of the targets and determine the width and lengthdimensions. Each target presents a bar code which specificallyidentifies it, and from which the laser scanner can extract the heightdimension.

Unfortunately, each type of repair systems suffers drawbacks. In thefixture system, there is no verification that the fixtures themselvesare in the proper positions, and thus, the vehicle may be straightened,or parts may be added, based on inexact coordinates, resulting in afaulty repair. Even the laser scanner may result in inaccuratemeasurements. Specifically, the accuracy of the triangulationcalculation decreases with the square of the distance from the scanner,thereby limiting the range of the system to no more than a few meters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the above-identified and other problemsand disadvantages by providing a vehicle fixturing system that providesverification that a fixture is in the correct location and that therepair is done properly.

Generally, the fixturing system consists of a fixture base and supportassembly attachable to a vehicle repair bench, a locating member on thefixture base for coupling with a vehicle reference point, a securingmechanism to secure the vehicle, and an alignment target located inclose proximity to the fixture base.

In one embodiment, holes are placed on the fixture base at controlpoints to allow the alignment target to be located directly below thelocating member. In another embodiment, the alignment target is locateddirectly on the fixture base. The use of alignment targets allow therepair technician to verify that the repair is done right.

In one embodiment, the locating member is a pin. In another embodiment,the locating member is a clamp.

In one embodiment, a securing mechanism secures the vehicle duringrepair. In one embodiment, fixture bolts are the securing mechanism andhold the damaged area at specific control points, as designated by thevehicle manufacturer. In another embodiment, clamps are the securingmechanism and hold pinch welds to restrain the vehicle while the damagedareas are pulled to reshape within manufacturer specifications. In yetanother embodiment, both fixture bolts and clamps are used as thesecuring mechanism.

The fixturing system can, in one embodiment, be mounted to a Fuzion™Shop Hopper repair bench, manufactured by Chief™ AutomotiveTechnologies.

In one embodiment, the fixturing system is useable for repairs andreplacing parts that require the vehicle body to be separated from theframe, such as may be the case when high strength steel or aluminum isused in the body.

These and other novel features of the present invention are described inmore detail in the section titled DETAILED DESCRIPTION, below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The present invention is described herein with reference to thefollowing drawing figures, with greater emphasis being placed on clarityrather than scale:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the fixturing systemmounted to the Fuzion™ Shop Hopper repair bench;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are isometric views of various embodiments of thefixturing system;

FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of an embodiment of the fixturingsystem;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the securing mechanism;and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are isometric views of various embodiments of thefixturing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the drawings figures, a vehicle fixturing system isherein described, shown, and otherwise disclosed in accordance withvarious embodiments, including a preferred embodiment, of the presentinvention. Broadly, the fixturing system 10 is comprised of locatingmembers, support assemblies, and fixture bases designed to hold thevehicle at specific control points. Damaged areas of the vehicle can bepulled until they fit on the fixture bases, or they can be cut off andreplaced. When the damaged areas are cut off and replaced, the fixturebases assist in positioning and holding replacement parts. The alignmenttargets, when used with lasers, or another verification system, provideelectronic proof for the technician that the repair is done right. Thealignment targets can also be used when setting up the fixture bases toassure they are in the proper locations. In one embodiment, alignmenttargets are placed directly on the fixture bases so the scanner canlocate them. In another embodiment, the alignment targets are locatedsubstantially below the locating member. In yet another embodiment,alignment targets are placed in multiple locations for a given controlpoint, useful when line of sight is impeded by a portion of the vehicleand the verification system cannot read one target. The software isprogrammable to select only one of the targets for verification, orcalculate an average of more than one target. The targets are coded,such that the software is able to determine that a given targetcorresponds to a particular reference point. The software is furtherable to calculate, based on the target location, how much, if any,pulling is necessary to properly repair the vehicle. Thus, it will beappreciated that the apparatus and system of the present inventionadvantageously allows for minimizing time spent setting up fixtures,positioning replacement parts, and providing greater accuracy inverifying that a repair has been completed.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of the fixturing system 10 isshown. The fixturing system includes a fixture base 12 and supportassembly 14 attachable to a repair bench, a locating member 16 on thefixture base for coupling with a vehicle reference point and analignment target 18 located in close proximity to the fixture base. Inone embodiment the fixture base is a flat plate with apertures and isattached to the support assembly. In another embodiment, the fixturebase is contoured to fit firmly against the vehicle reference point. Inone embodiment, the locating member is a pin, insertable into a selectedvehicle reference point. In another embodiment, the locating member is aclamp, designed to couple with a selected vehicle reference point. Inone embodiment, a securing mechanism secures the vehicle during repair.In one embodiment, fixture bolts 40 are the securing mechanism and holdthe damaged area at specific control points, as designated by thevehicle manufacturer. In another embodiment, clamps 20 are the securingmechanism and hold pinch welds to restrain the vehicle while the damagedareas are pulled to reshape within manufacturer specifications. In yetanother embodiment, both fixture bolts and clamps are used as thesecuring mechanism. High strength steel does not allow for much pulling,so if the repair requires extensive pulling, the damaged area is cut offand replaced. The fixturing system helps accurately position and holdthe replacement part while the replacement part is attached to thevehicle. Some repairs require separating the frame from the body priorto any pulling, particularly when the body is composed of high strengthsteel. If the frame needs to be separated from the body, the fixturingsystem can hold the body while the frame is repaired.

Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, holes are placed on the fixturebase 12 at the control points to allow the alignment target 18 to belocated directly below the locating member 16. In another embodiment,not shown in the figures, the alignment target is located directly onthe fixture base 12. The use of alignment targets allow the repairtechnician to get electronic proof that the repair is done right.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, the fixturing system 10 can, in variousembodiments, be mounted to a Fuzion™ Shop Hopper repair bench 30,manufactured by Chief™ Automotive Technologies. In one embodiment, theprocess of making a repair using the fixturing system comprises thesteps of mounting the fixturing system to the Fuzion™ Shop Hopper repairbench. Using locating members 16 on the fixture base 12 to locatereference holes in the vehicle, the vehicle is secured by using asecuring mechanism. In one embodiment, a fixture bolt 40 is the securingmechanism. In another embodiment, a clamp 20 is the securing mechanismand secures the vehicle by holding the pinch welds of the vehicle. Thealignment targets 18 are positioned, in one embodiment, directly belowthe control points. In another embodiment, the alignment targets arepositioned directly on the fixture bases. In yet another embodiment,multiple alignment targets are positioned in multiple positionscorresponding to one reference point, such that the software used by averification system is able to determine which of the alignment targetsshould be used in calculating the proper position of the reference pointor fixturing system. This embodiment is particularly desirable when analignment target is shielded or partially shielded from view by otherparts of the vehicle or repair bench and the software is able to ignorethe shielded or partially shielded targets and use the visible targetsin calculating deviation, if any, from the manufacturer specifications.The verification system provides verification the fixturing system is inthe proper position by using, in one embodiment, a Velocity™ measuringsystem (manufactured by Chief™ Automotive Technologies). A repair isthen made, wherein the repair requires a small amount of pulling. Averification system provides verification of the repair by using, in oneembodiment, a Velocity™ measuring system. The verification system isfurther able to determine, based on codes on the individual targets,which reference point corresponds to each target or targets. If thealignment target is not in the expected location in space for acorresponding reference point, the software in the verification systemis able to calculate, based on the actual location of the target, ortargets, the actual deviation of the reference point, and is able tocalculate the proper amount of pulling, if any, in order to properlyreturn the damaged portion of the vehicle to within manufacturerspecifications. If the damaged portions are not suitable for repair bypulling, replacement parts are held in the proper location by thefixturing system, verifiable by the verification system, until therepaired portions are substantially permanently attached to the vehicle.

In one embodiment, the fixturing system 10 is also useable for repairsand replacing parts that require the vehicle body to be separated fromthe frame, such as may be the case when a lot of high strength steel isused in the body. In one embodiment, the process of separating thevehicle's body from its frame comprises the steps of disconnecting theframe from the vehicle body and using locating pins 16 on the fixturebase to locate reference holes on the vehicle and using fixture bolts 40as well as clamps on pinch welds of the vehicle to further secure thevehicle body. When it is desired to replace the frame, the methodfurther includes the steps of lowering the vehicle body onto areplacement frame, positioning alignment targets, and verifying theframe is properly positioned by using a verification system. In oneembodiment, a Velocity™ measuring system is used as the verificationsystem. Finally, the locating pins, fixture bolts, and clamps, areremoved after substantially permanently attaching the replacement frameto the vehicle body.

Although the invention has been disclosed with reference to variousparticular embodiments, it is understood that equivalents may beemployed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scopeof the invention as recited in the claims.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what isclaimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includesthe following:

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A method of repairing a vehicle, the methodcomprising the steps of: mounting a fixturing system to a repair bench;positioning locating members on fixture bases for coupling with selectedreference holes on a vehicle; substantially securing the vehicle using asecuring mechanism; positioning at least one alignment target on thefixturing system; verifying fixtures are in proper position using averification system; making a repair; and verifying the repair with theverification system.
 10. The method according to claim 9 wherein thesecuring mechanism comprises using clamps on pinch welds of the vehicle.11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the securing mechanismcomprises fixture bolts.
 12. The method according to claim 9 whereinpositioning the alignment target comprises positioning the alignmenttarget substantially directly below the locating member.
 13. The methodaccording to claim 9 wherein positioning the alignment target comprisespositioning the alignment target on the fixture base.
 14. The methodaccording to claim 9 wherein making a repair comprises pulling thedamaged area.
 15. The method according to claim 9 wherein making arepair comprises removing the damaged area, positioning a replacementpart on the fixturing system, verifying the placement of the replacementpart, and substantially permanently attaching the replacement part tothe vehicle.
 16. The method according to claim 9 wherein the locatingmember comprises a locating pin for insertion into a vehicle referencepoint.
 17. A method of repairing a vehicle, the method comprising thesteps of: mounting a fixturing system to a repair bench; positioninglocating members on fixture bases for coupling with selected referenceholes on a vehicle; substantially securing the vehicle using a securingmechanism; positioning at least one alignment target on the fixturingsystem; verifying fixtures are in proper position using a verificationsystem; removing damaged areas of the vehicle unsuitable for repair bypulling; positioning the locating pins on the fixture bases forinsertion of the locating pins into selected reference holes on at leastone replacement part; verifying placement of the at least onereplacement part with the verification system; substantially permanentlyattaching the at least one replacement part to the vehicle; andverifying the repair with the verification system.
 18. The methodaccording to claim 17 wherein the securing mechanism comprises usingclamps on pinch welds of the vehicle.
 19. The method according to claim17 wherein the securing mechanism comprises fixture bolts.
 20. Themethod according to claim 17 wherein positioning the alignment targetcomprises positioning the alignment target substantially directly belowthe locating member.
 21. The method according to claim 17 whereinpositioning the alignment target comprises positioning the alignmenttarget on the fixture base.
 22. The method according to claim 17 whereinthe locating member comprises a locating pin for insertion into avehicle reference point.